Though the Nominations Committee (NomCom) is an essential part of the ASSU, the committee and its purpose is not widely known among the general student population. The members of next year’s committee have recently been nominated and are awaiting confirmation from the Undergraduate Senate and Graduate Student Council (GSC).

According to the NomCom page on the University website, the seven selected members are charged with “interviewing and nominating students as voting members to University committees.” NomCom is responsible for acting as a “filter” to determine suitable candidates for these positions, but University committee leaders ultimately get the last say in appointments.

According to NomCom member Branden Crouch ’14, the Board of Trustees committee positions are the most important.

Dan Fuentes ’12 said the nominated undergraduate students are Deepa Kannappan ’13 and Otis Reed ’12 for the Academic Policy, Planning and Management committee; Reagan Thompson ’12 and Mercy Bell ’12 for the Alumni and External Relations committee; Vineet Singal ’12 and Elijah Frazier ’12 for the Development committee; Jesus Espinoza ’12 and Shahryar Malik ’12 for the Finance committee and Ernestine Fu ’12 and Norian Watson ‘13 for the Land and Buildings committee.

The nominated graduate students are Subhan Ali and Rebecca Johnson for the Academic Policy, Planning and Management committee; Agnieszka Czechowicz and Annie Kadavy for the Alumni and External Relations committee; Michael Tubbs for the Development committee and Stephen Comello and Agnieszka Czechowicz for the Land and Buildings committee.

All students who aspire to be selected for these positions must first go through an extensive interview process with NomCom. Students first show their interest through an online application and then, if selected, appear before the committee of seven for an interview, Crouch said. The committee then selects a few individuals to be interviewed again by the heads of the committees they want to join.

“We nominate students who best represent the mindset of most of the student body and will present an unbiased opinion,” Crouch said. “These students are applying for very important positions with the University, and we look for an honest voice.”

More important even than how the student is represented on paper is the intangible aspects of their personality that make them the right fit for the committees.

“A lot of what goes into our decision to nominate a person is based on the interview itself,” said Andrea Hinton ’14, another NomCom member. “We look for a solid background, but personability, eye contact and good interview skills show us that you are the type of person who will work well on a University committee.”

Students who are selected for Board of Trustees positions may not be involved in submitting proposals, but are involved in researching the opinions of the student body and presenting their findings to the Board as it makes decisions. Placement on these committees can be highly selective, as NomCom selects just two undergraduate and two graduate students out of a pool that can include upwards of 50 applicants. After NomCom makes its recommendations, the University committee leaders select one undergraduate student and one graduate student.

Students are permitted to apply for more than one position, but NomCom makes the decision as to which position, if any, best fits a given student.

Much like the students they select, NomCom members must first go through an interview process to become involved in the committee.

“We had to apply, get interviewed and then be confirmed by the ASSU in a very official process,” Hinton said.

The time commitment required from each of the members of NomCom is dependent on the number of applications received and interviews required to make an informed nomination to the committees. During the selection of Board of Trustees nominees, the commitment amounted to about three to four consecutive hours of interviews per week. Even so, the seven members, who are appointed every academic year, find their work rewarding.

“We have to make very serious decisions, but we have a lot of fun as a group,” Hinton said.